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Most NiMH batteries `self discharge' in a month or two. Expect 75% of the charge to be lost in 30 days -- even if the batteries are completely disconnected. This does not damage the batteries, it just means you can't rely on them for a lot of power after a few weeks.

With conservative design or a different technology battery somewhere for bootstrapping, cars like the Prius could probably survive a couple months of disuse without an external charge. It seems likely that letting the batteries discharge completely shouldn't cause damage, even if an external charge is required.

You can easily test the NiMH discharge rate with batteries from the drug store. Charge up a pair and put them in a flashlight and test it. Put it on the shelf and let it sit for a month or so and test again ...

There are some very new NiMH batteries on the market now that don't have the self-discharge problem. Eneloop and Uniross Hybrio are examples. They come ready to use, no initial charge necessary.

Hello there, I have here an article which I lifted from the net which tells about the capacity of a hybrid car battery...Hope this might help...

LiMnO2 hybrid battery cells deliver longer life, higher capacity

By Paul O'Shea

Courtesy of eeProductCenter
(08/23/2007 3:34 PM EDT)

Fair Lawn, N.J. — Maxell Corporation of America has introduced its next-generation of lithium manganese dioxide (LiMnO2) cylindrical hybrid battery cells with longer life and higher capacity for automatic meter readers, security devices and RF applications. These advanced hybrid cells will operate for more than 10 years and offer about nine percent higher capacity compared to similar cells currently available.
The CR17450 and CR17335 cells, designed to industry standard sizes, are laser sealed and exhibit a low self-discharge making them suitable for long-term extended life applications of 10+ years. The wide operational temperature range of -40° to +80°C with an improved heatproof temperature of +90°C to 100° C and internal minute short-circuit prevention are said to make these cells intrinsically safe.
The CR17450 offers a typical capacity of 2600 mAh, while the CR17335 provides a typical capacity of 1750 mAh. The cells offer a voltage rating of 3.0 volts and feature a stable sloping discharge curve at various depths of discharge, allowing for accurate prediction of end of life.
The CR17450 measures 17 mm in diameter and 45 mm in length and weighs 22g. The CR17335 also has a diameter of 17 mm with a 33.5-mm length and weighs 16g.
The CR17450 and CR17335 cells will be displayed for the first time at the AMRA 2007 (Automatic Meter Reader Association) show in Reno, Nev., October 1-3, 2007. Maxell will also attend the AISI Security Show in Las Vegas, Nev., September 24-26.
As a hybrid car owner, I am well satisfied with its performance as well as with its auto parts like my honda crv parts and of course, its battery and its other accessories...

Pricing: Samples are priced in the $5.00 range with a delivery of 60 to 90 days.
Product information: CR17450 and CR17335
Maxell Corporation of America, www.maxell.com

It is not the main battery

It is not the main battery that gets drained. It is the 12 volt auxiliary battery that runs the theft detection system. You should disconnect the 12 volt battery cables if your Prius is going to spend a long time without being started.

Was considering a used 2005

Was considering a used 2005 Escape Hybrid and decided to call my local Ford dealer's parts department for some accurate pricing information. As of today (2010) the replacement cost of a Escape Hybrid battery pack is $9614.13...that doesn't include the labor for installation.

This makes buying a used hybrid an extremely risky proposition. It's one thing if you have a reasonable expectation that you could amortize such an expense out over a ten year period. However, there's almost no chance that buyer of a used Hybrid buying the vehicle 5 or 6 years into its service life will have that opportunity (I've never heard of any sort of battery, in any device, lasting 15 years).

At that point, you have an unsellable, untradable brick in the driveway that is going to cost $10,000 to get back on the road.

Doesn't make much sense unless you have the accounting structure that will allow you to lease a new hybrid in a beneficial way and turn it back in to the car company long before you have to think about battery issues.

Our 2005 Escape Hypride has

Our 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid

Our 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid with 90,000 miles had a Blue Book Value of $9500 and we found out the high voltage battery would be $10,458 to replace ( not including any labor ). Our mileage had been decreasing and since we were unsure if it was because the battery was weakening or some other reason, we traded the car in. We had been told the battery would go 7 years and if it failed the car would be worth nothing. Certainly not going to replace the battery for that price !!

I wouldn't buy a Hybrid

I wouldn't buy a Hybrid Escape with over 100k miles unless I was assured it had a new battery in it. Mine has 130k miles and my milage has dropped to just a tad under 30mpg and I'm thinking of getting a new battery. I hard the Escape Hybrid taxis go 300k miles before the battery needs changing, but I'm convinced they have a commerical battery in them.

PS: Little known about the filter in the back needs changing. It filters the cooling air that goes to the battery computer. If it gets clogged with leaves or such, the computer will heat up and go bad. Without that, the battery will run flat and you'll need a new battery. Check the filter in the rear left inside the cargo bay!